Clamping mechanism of loose-leaf ledgers and key therefor.



G. E. WHITEHOUSE. GLAMPING MECHANISM OF LOOSE LEAP LEDGERS AND KEYTHEREFOR.

' APPLIGATION FILED AUG.8, 1913.

1,102,1 14, Patented June 30,191 L -zizz/ezziofl VJ ssexs 607 25?M4255720a gmvagy GEORGE \VHITEHOUS E, 0F EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

CLAMPING MECHANISM OF LOOSE-LEAF LEDGERS AND KEY THEREFOR.

Specification of letters Patent. .Iatented June 30, 1914.

Application filed August 8, 1913. Serial No. 783,768.

1 0 all whom it may concern lvan'rnnousn, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Edinburgh; Scotland, have invented new and usefulImprovements in -Clamping Mechanism of Loose-Leaf Ledger's and KeysThereior, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to improvements in loose leaf ledgers of the kindcomprising clamping bars drawn together by tapes or cords wound-on arotary spindle carried by one of the clamping bars and rotatable bymeans of a removable key. a i

In loose leaf ledgers of this kind it has heretofore been known toprovide a ratchet wheel and pawl to prevent backward rotation of thesaid rotary spindle, that is to say, rotation of this spindle in thedirection which allows unwinding or slackening of the said tapes orcords, and to provide means for withdrawing the pawl from the ratchetwheel when desired.

The present invention provides improved means for withdrawing the pawland retainingit thus withdrawn.

According to the present invention, the pawl is provided with an armlying adjacent toone end of thespindle so that it can he moved by aconvenient part of a key to withdraw the pawl from the ratchet when thesaid key is slid to one position along the spindle and turned. Means areprovided for retaining the said key in the position in which it holdsthe pawl away from the ratchet wheel. .In another position of the saidkey, while it is stillin engagement with and capable of communicatingrotary motion to the spindle, the pawl is left free to engage theratchet wheel and prevent unwinding of the cord wound on the spindle.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a view partly in centralsection showing a pair of clamping bars having the present improvementsapplied thereto. Figs. 2 to 7 are detail 'views drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. 2 is a plan of part of a bar showing the improved ratchet mechanismmounted thereon. Fig. 3 isan end view of'the said bar. Fig. ,4 shows asection of the line 00-00, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view, and Fig. 6 anend view of a key for operating the said ratchet mechanism. Fig. 7 showsa section on the line y-3 Fig.

Referring tofthe drawing, a is a spindle mounted to rotate in hearingsI) provided on finger..k thrusts ban 'a bare, to 'wind up or slacken taes d, the ends of which'are attached to a ar e."-A ratchet wheel f; ismounted on the spindle a and is restrained from backward rotation bya-pawl in order'tolpr'event unwinding of the tapes, in the well knownmanner. This pawl grcontrolled by a spring 1:, is formed'with an arm 2'.The end of the spindle a is flatted to be engaged by a key 7' the barrelof which is cut away to form a finger k. --The interior of the keyba-rrel is formed with flat-surfaces Z to fit the 'end of the spindle a,and a spring m is provided within the said barrel. TllByiIltGIlOl of thekey barrel next to the flat surfaces 1- iscylindrical as at m-', and isof sufiicient diameter to allow. the flattened end a of the spindle toturn freely therein, while the part a of the spindle nent to theflattened end :a is of reduced diameter for a similar reason. The key isalso formed with an exterior lug or projection n.

"An end plate 0 of thebar c has ahole 79 therein through which the key7' can be introduced to engage the spindle a. This hole is formed withenlargements 1' through whichthe lug n can pass. On t e inner side ofthe plate 0 a catch plate 8 is provided having a hole thereincorresponding to the shape of the hole 72 with its enlargements q and7'. A notch-t is also formed in the-said catch plate 8 but there is nocorresponding notch in the DIMZBIO.

Assuming that the tapes d are wound up,

and that it is desired to slacken them, the key is slid-on to thespindle 'a in such a position that the lug n passes through the enlargedpart 1 of 'the hole 72, and by this movement of the'key the spring we iscompressed: The finger his thus brought beneath the arm 2' and the lug ais brought to the inner side of thecatch plate 8. The flattened end a ofthe spindle is then within the cylindrical part m of the key. The key isthen turned in a clockwise direction. (refer ring to Fig. 3). Duringthis movement, by rcasonofthoaction of the spring or the lug 1n slidesin oontact with thooatch plate s'and in-due course entersthc notch t sothat'the key is locked against further movement until force is appliedto compress the spring m and move thekey so that the lug nisrarriedout-of the zsaid notch.

As the key is rotated so as to bring the lug a into' position 0 positethe notch 25, the the arm 6 and thus withdrawsthe pawl 'g leaving theratchet (PM vi il wheel 7 and the spindle a free to rotate in eitherdirection.

To effect the rewinding of the tapes, the key is thrust in against theresistance of the spring on so that the. lug n is carried out of thenotch t. The key is then turned in the clockwise direction (Fig. 3) andthe spring m is allowed to move the key so that the lug n passes throughthe enlarged part r of the hole 72. The flat surfaces Z are then inengagement with the, correspondingly flattened end a of the spindle.When the lug n moves to the outside of the plate 0, the finger is ismoved to the right of the arm a. The spring m is arranged to thrust thekey, when the latter is free, to this position 'so that it can be thenrotated to wind up the tapes '01 without engaging the arm i.

In a preferred construction, as shown in the drawings, ports 3, 3 areprovided, screwed into one bar and passing freely through holes in theother bar to keep the bars in alinenient or parallelism, and these postsmay comprise sections 3, 3 3 etc., screwed together to vary the lengthof the posts.

l claim: I

1, In a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding spindle a ratchet wheel on thesaid spindle,

a pawl adapted to engage the said ratchet wheel, a key for retractingthe said pawl irom the said wheel, and a catch plate for retaining thesaid key in operative relation to the said pawl. I

2. In a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding spindle, a ratchet wheel onthe'said spindle, a pawl adapted to engage the said ratchet wheel, anarm connected with the said pawl, a key adapted to move thesaid arm toretract the said pawl from the said wheel, and

. a catch plate for retaining the said key in engagement with thesaidarm. 1

3. In a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding spindle, a ratchet wheel onthe said spindle, a pawl adapted to engage the said ratchet wheel, anarm connected with the said pawl,

a key adapted tomove the said arm to retract the said pawl from the saidwheel, a lug on the said key, and a catch plate having a notch thereinto receive the said lug. I

-11. In a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding s;' indle,a ratchet wheel onthe said spindle, a pawl adapted to engage the said ratchet wheel, anarm connected with the said pawl, a key adaptedto more the said {11111to retract said pawl from the said wheel, a lug onthc' key, a catchplate, and a spring for thrusting the said lug against the said catchplate.

5. In a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding spindle, a: ratchet wheel onthe saids'pindle, a pawl adapted to engage the said ratchetin. throughwhich the said key can pass, in

alineinent with the hole in the catch plate. -6. In a loose-leaf ledger,a tape-winding spindle, a key adapted to be slid on to the I end of thesaid spindle, a spring within the key barrel, and a catch plate=f0rretaining the said key on the spindle against the thrust of the spring.

7. In a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding spindle, a key 'adaptedto beslid on to the,

end of the said. spindle, a lug on the exterior of the key barrel, and acatch plate having a notch therein to receive the said lug and therebyobstruct removal of the key from the spindle. I

8.111 a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding spindle, a key adapted to'beslid on to the end of said spindle, a spring within the barrel, a lug onthe exteriorof the keyba rrel, and a catch plate having a notch there;in into which the said liig is adapted to be pressed by the said spring.i

9. In a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding spindle, a key adapted to beslid on to the end of the said spindle, a lug on the exte .rior of thesaid *key, and a catch plate re:

stricting withdrawal of the key from the said spindle.

10. In a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding spindle, a ratchet wheel onthe said spindle, a pawl adapted to engage the said ratchet wheel, a keyadapted to he slid on to the end of the said spindle, a finger formedthereon, and an arm adapted to. be engaged by the said finger to movethe said pawl.

11. In a loose leaf ledger, a tape-winding spindle having flats at oneend thereof and a reduced cylindrical part adjacent to the said flats, akey having a tubular barrel with iltYtS within its outer end and anenlarged cylindrical chamber therein adjacent to the said flats, aspring within the lgey barrel adapted to thrust against the spindle end,

lng moved by the said spring.

12. A loose leaf ledger key comprising, in combination a barrel.portion, a lug on the exterior of the barrel, flats Within one end ofthe barrel, an enlarged cylindrical chamber adjacent to the said flatsand a spring within the said barrel. a j

GEORGE ERNEST WHlTEllOUSE.

l Vitnesses:

Gnoncn HARRISON, G. DONALD HARnIsoN.

and means for preventing the key from be-

